Black Tech Week leaves the Queen City for Columbus

The videos above are from FOX19 NOW's top stories. CINCINNATI (WXIX) - After a five-year run, Black Tech Week is leaving Cincinnati and heading to another Ohio city. Starting in 2027, the Queen City's northern neighbor, Columbus, will host the three-day career conference that focuses on connecting Black and Brown business and industry leaders, entrepreneurs and creators. Although organizers say Black Tech Week has been successful in Cincinnati, they are looking for room to grow the annual event. 'What a run Cincinnati,' organizers wrote online. 'Years of big ideas, unforgettable moments, new opportunities, and thousands of people coming together to build something special. The impact speaks for itself. And this story is far from over.' Black Tech Week debuted in Cincinnati in 2022, though it was originally founded in Miami, Florida in 2015. It was later acquired by Candice Matthews Brackeen's Lightship Foundation, a Cincinnati-based company that helps entrepreneurs grow their business. In December 2023, Black Tech Week committed to Cincinnati as its host city for three years — 2024, 2025 and 2026. 'After only two years in Cincinnati, Black Tech Week has become a cultural cornerstone and a gem for our city,' Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said in 2023. 'As one of the nation's preeminent conferences for Black creators and innovators, it creates an undeniable and irreplaceable impact on our community. We couldn't be more excited to join with Lightship Foundation and partners around the region to build on Black Tech Week's growth in the years to come.' Throughout the years, the Black Tech Week has brought thousands of visitors to the city's urban core and generated millions of dollars in economic impact for the Greater Cincinnati region. FOX19 NOW reached out to Mayor Pureval's office for comment about the potential economic impact losing Black Tech Week may have on the city. We are waiting to hear back. As of Monday, the dates for Black Tech Week in Columbus have not been announced yet, but the conference will be held in the summer.